What have you learned about your tripping self?

[Guest]

Another thread might be "What have you learned first hand?"

I’m going to come back at that interesting question from another direction. What have you learned about yourself that improves a trip?

Yeah, I like peace and quiet and time alone in the woods, but I already knew that. But what has most improved the tripping experience for me has been learning to slow my roll when setting up camp.

I am not 100% comfortable until I have established camp. Fully established; boat secured, tent up and pad inflated with book and reading glasses and light at the ready to crawl in for the night. Tarp strung, “kitchen” and food containers positioned, fire wood collected and prepared, etc, etc.

I have come to realize that, as much as I want that all accomplished toot-sweet-there-I’m-done, the more slowly and, more important, thoughtfully, I set up camp the happier I will be.

It’s the foresighted subtleties that make a difference. Determining some morning sun on the tent in the off-season or some evening shade on long hot summer days, windage calculated for shelter and camp fire smoke, drainage and tarp run off considered before the deluge, sundry gear readied or stored away as need be.

The myriad of little things that accumulate to make a big difference. I can not comprehend all of that if I am hurried. I need to have time to make conscious and thoughtful decisions.

To that end I am happier making camp with ample daylight, or earlier if it portends evening rain, and relish multi-night stays.

 

[Odyssey]

Good question. What have I learned about myself that improves a trip?
Relax. Stop trying to be perfect and do things perfectly. I'm not and I can't.
No-one's watching. No-one cares if you slip on a correction stroke, or burn your bannock, or fail miserably on the tarp setup, or scratch the canoe, or, or, or...
I tend to be just a little anal* on a trip. (Can I use that a* word here?) If I'm not careful on a trip, I'll get carried away and worry about every little thing. Every little a* thing.
"Oops! I slipped on that correction stroke, I burned the bannock, I failed miserably on the tarp set up, I added another scratch to the canoe..."
Let's face it. If there was someone watching me who's more a* than me, then they can pitch in and help around here, and let me relax a little!
My tripping self is the same imperfect self that grins stupidly back at me in the morning mirror. Same guy. Every morning. I might as well get used to him. It's been helpful to accept my own imperfect mortal short comings, and just get on with making the most of this gift of life. Every morning.
Especially on canoe trips. Relax.

a very belated ps---I have to give credit where credit is due.
I didn't discover this on my own. It was no single self revelatory moment. In fact, it's been ongoing over the years.
I hear this -Relax. Nobody's perfect- from others. For Canoetripping.net purposes, I need to give thanks for this relearned message to Gavia. He gave me much needed advice. I just need to not forget it.

 

[Philtrum]

Great comments (both) above. I can't improve on them, only repeat, so I'll leave off with a "ditto."
Except for one thing: Odyssey, you are right to be compulsive about what you do. The only safety net you have is the one between your ears, and the more careful you are, the safer you are. To your list of "no one cares" I'd add this: Don't be a perfectionist about correction strokes (just for example); but remember that no one cares if you slip on a rock and crack your head or break your leg except those who aren't there to help.

 

[memaquay]

I've never thought about doing things the right way, as the approach I take is use whatever works. Some of the strongest paddlers I have ever tripped with only know one stroke, the goony. I failed every knot course I have ever tried, and still rely on the old saying "If you can't tie knots, tie lots". The only thing I know about myself is that I don't know much, but i sure have a good time not worrying about what I don't know.

 

[Iskweo]

Wellllllll. I can tend to be a little overwhelming. "Under sensitive in interpersonal relationships" is how it was assessed. Who knew? Certainly not me. ( Must be that whole Master Corporal thing rearing its ugly head).

Since becoming aware of that, I have tried to be more accepting of things. Also, we assign duties. I have my tasks and karin has hers. I cook and she sets up and breaks camp. We generally keep our noses out of the others jobs.

I have started asking what she wants to do for the day also. Sometimes. The problem is that I am more experienced in the woods and often want things my way. Or I forget and just map out my day without any input.
I am starting to sound like a great solo tripper...lol.

The maddening thing is that I can sit and do nothing for hours on end...you just never know.


Christine

 

[Odyssey]

I'd like to pass the buck, and blame my parents. (Mom, Dad; if you're looking down and over my shoulder, you know I love you, right?) On a patience scale ascending from 0 to 10, my Mom had -10 patience and my Dad had +50. They drove each other nuts, but their marriage was strong, and lasted till death did them part. My own patience swings like a patience pendulum, from 0 to 10, from crazy to lazy. I just wish I could settle somewhere in the middle, particularly on canoe trips. I'll rise to greet the dawn with an attitude of 10++, and eventually that darned pendulum swings to 0 and nothing can get done right nor fast enough. On trips, my family knows to retire out of offensive language earshot, and wait for the blue smoke to clear, and the pendulum to do it's thing again.
Right now, I just finished dinner; after first shampooing the rec room carpets and unplugging a sink drain.
My pendulum has swung back to 10 again. Excellent!! Just in time to kick back for a TV hockey game.

 

[Philtrum]

To come back to the original question: What I've learned about my tripping self is what I've learned about myself thanks to the tripping I've done since 2002. I could barely begin to explain. Maybe it's enough to say that I've grown much more than a mere 12 years.

 

[Canotrouge]

To be flexible, to be adaptive, to enjoy the moment.

 

[snapper]

There's so much that I've learned over the years about myself so thanks for the opportunity to think this through a bit. I guess the most essential thing is not to try and "do" everything. Let others get involved and join in the fun. It's OK to let others take control and learn from their mistakes and, more importantly, their successes. Although I'm typically the "leader" due to work/organizational responsibilities, it's much better to be a follower at times. It's while in that role that my students learn, thrive and grow the most.

I guess that's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

PS - No kidding and I'm not bragging; I can't wait for the day when I can learn more about myself on personal trips. I'm out so much with school that even though my wife/family still get out, the trips are usually just day or quickie overnighters. Those for me are just total relief and the time to R-E-L-A-X.

 

[ppine]

Great thoughts by some people with a lot of self-awareness. The path of the paddle is a sacred path. It makes sense to pay homage to the past with the old timey equipment, and live in the present. I try to practice mindfulness out there. The flora and fauna, geology and geomorphology are constant sources of amazement. As a retired scientist, it is possible to come to a high comfort level while observing new ecosystems. Physical activity becomes deliberate. Most of the worrying that I do is related to other people, especially their safety. This forum has helped me understand the attraction of solo trips.

When it is time to stop for the night, I have no compulsions at all. I like to unload the boats, set up a chair, drink a cocktail. Just being is a skill learned from my uncle that is a retired artist. Setting up camp is easy. We take turns cooking dinner. If it is my turn to cook for a group it is a little different story. I check on my dogs and feed them. I check on the group. Then I have another cocktail. It is as relaxed as I can get. Large sandbars on the inside of big turns or bluffs are the favorite camping spots. Usually there is no one else around. The evening is a great time to observe and hear the wildlife. The slap of a beaver's tail, owls, coyotes, ospreys, wild donkeys, herons, eagles, deer, and bears. Salmon jumping in the air to get off the sea lice. It is like being Tom Sawyer. Go when you want, stop when you want. I am still mesmerized by the sight and sound of moving water. Nothing like one of the big crystalline tongues that goes into a big downstream V.

 

[Guest]

Mike this is a totally normal way of thinking,
You have to do all that stuff before you can relax .

Norton, I agree, kind of. I have found that I need to relax while I am doing all of that stuff.

I tend to want to go at setting up camp full bore, but have found that if I make a conscious effort to stop and contemplate the wholeness of the site, and then do one thing; set up the tent or position the tarp while thinking about sun angles and drainage and wind direction, and when that part is done stop, maybe have a sit and thoughtfully contemplate the site and next order of business, I will end up with a more functional and comfortable camp.

As an unsurprising side benefit I get more pleasure from the various physical and mental aspects of setting up camp while I am (slowly) doing so, and have come to enjoy the task more. Setting up a best-I-can camp has become one of my favorite parts of tripping.

And when done I get considerable satisfaction in seeing it all come together, as the sun warms the tent in the morning and helps evaporate the dew, and the drainage leaves the tarp and kitchen areas dry, the breeze, fire pit, tent and tarp and kitchen positions all work harmoniously and I’m not walking into guy lines because I’ve positioned them out of my obvious treadways and etc, etc things large and small.

Breaking camp is sometimes another story. If I need to get gone I’ll still go at that hard, and there again having set up a contemplative camp helps smooth the way down and out. Still, given my druthers I’d prefer to break camp slowly as well, and maybe dawdle over a second cup of coffee as everything goes back neatly in its proper place and fashion.

The better away it all goes the easier it is to set it back up. Now if I could just break my occasional bad habit of letting the tarp lines snaggle uncorrected when taking it down. Slow down dammit.

I am far from perfect in my camp contemplations, and still get that combination of sun angles, drainage and changeable wind direction wrong. Some sites simply don’t grant you everything.

But at the very least it has been years since I staked out the tent and filled it sleep goods only to take a step back and notice a widowmaker dangling directly above.

 

[memaquay]

I like to unload the boats, set up a chair, drink a cocktail

ppine, I think we would get along fine!

 

[scoutergriz]

Snapper; I'm in the same boat. I lead several trips a year, and find most times I don't even get to catch my breath until all the kids are in bed.

A few years ago I had a heart attack, and almost 2 years ago I broke my back. That taught me two very valuable lessons;
#1 I needed to slow down and take time for myself, and
#2 delegate! The experienced kids can supervise dinner, tents, water, etc.
I just need to keep an eye on them rather than spend my time running around trying to direct everything!

 

[memaquay]

Yes, Scoutergriz, I learned the same thing with my Outers Club. My physiotherapist asked me why my body was so beat up, so i told her about the Outers Club. She told me I had to take the role of an "elder", dispense advice and knowledge, but leave it to the young bucks to do all the work. Took a while for me to get it, and at first it was hard, but now I really see the value in letting the senior kids assume more responsibility, I assume my arse on a chair.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I haven't learned about myself from tripping so much as tripping has confirmed things about my predilections. Namely:

1. Overwhelmingly, I canoe trip simply to engage in the physical and emotional act of single blade paddling. To be in the canoe. To control the canoe with as much sophistication and efficiency as I can. Every stroke is challenge, an opportunity, a reward and (usually) a pleasure. Because I mainly want to be on the water, I paddle until late in the day and leave early the next morning.

2. The converse of this watery predilection is an earthen one: that I want to spend as little time on land as possible, and do as little work as possible in setting up and breaking down a camp. Everything in camp is minimalistic: no food preparation, no garbage, no wood processing, rarely a fire, almost never a tarp.

3. Not wanting to do chores on land, I like to be comfortable and just sit or recline. One thing I've learned over the past five years is to tote with me a very comfortable, reclining, full-size bag chair. The heck with the weight. So, in camp, I mainly like to sit in a chair and read, or stare, or play with my cameras, or engage in omphaloskepsis. I also like reclining in my tent, propped on my air mattress or chair, so I prefer a lightweight but large three person tent that can fit my chair and gear.

4. The necessary consequence of my paddling and camping predilections means my rhythms and activities don't usually fit in well with other paddlers, especially organized groups. So I almost always trip alone. Which becomes riskier and riskier with age. So I've learned to take fewer and shorter trips. C'est la vie.

 

[Holmes375]

....omphaloskepsis....

I had to look that one up

The necessary consequence of my paddling and camping predilections means my rhythms and activities don't usually fit in well with other paddlers, especially organized groups. So I almost always trip alone....

Similar path here. The few that did trip well with me have gone by the wayside now as we've all aged.

There's an old boy out of Colorado that trips into the backcountry of Shoshone lake in Yellowstone each year about the same time I do. Late in the season when the tourists and scouts are gone and the weather is less than balmy. We've crossed paths a few times over the last several years and our last encounter saw us launching at the same time at Lewis lake. We paddled across that lake within eyesight of each other under a light rain. We then paddled up the river channel as far as we could, got out & roped up to pull our canoes up river the last mile or so. I reached Shoshone lake a little before he did (I've long moose-like legs), we bade one another well and parted company as we each headed for our preferred area of the lake. Saw him in the distance a couple times on the water during the next week. Don't know the feller's name and never felt the need to ask. He sought solitude as did I. dang fine trippin' partner that man from Colorado

 

[snapper]

"...I assume my arse on a chair."

Great sentiment Memaquay! I've gotten better with this but still have a ways to go at times. Thankfully my grandsons are slowing me down a bit because I don't want to rush them through anything. I love spending time with them and letting them direct it all. My oldest is only 7 but he's already calling in owls and explores everything every chance he gets. Lots of fun!

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper

 

[ppine]

I enjoy the skill of paddling well, but give little thought to "doing things perfectly." Camping comes naturally and seems easy. Cooking dinner tends to be a big deal, but the other meals aren't. There is usually some drinking going on. I choose paddling partners carefully, but have become even more selective. I have few compulsions on a canoe trip except observing everything and showing gratitude. Pushing off after the boats are loaded and the shuttle is over, is one of the best moments of any trip. Canoeing has mostly replaced backpacking in my life. Getting away from people is relatively easy on western rivers. It is almost like a secret way to enjoy the outdoors at times. We commonly go on trips for a week or 5 days and do not see another canoe except the ones in our party. On rivers with good fishing there are some powerboats. They wave and are respectful. Canoeing is relaxing the whole time except for the larger rapids and capsizes.

Canoeing does a great job of revealing people's character. Some do not get the idea that a canoe trip is a team sport. I either become better friends with people, or occasionally realize that we are not going to be close friends. Canoe tripping is a sport, a chance to make better friends, the best way to travel in the outdoors except for a mule string, and a mental health plan.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Some do not get the idea that a canoe trip is a team sport.

My experience is opposite. That is, almost everyone assumes a canoe trip is a team sport and that the vast majority of canoe trips are run on a teamwork or collective basis.

What some people don't realize is that a group of experienced paddlers can trip together without anything being collective or involving teamwork. That is, it's a group of individual boats each of which is expected to be 100% self-contained--just as all solo trippers are. In other words, the trip is just an aggregation of solo trippers who paddle and camp in proximity to each other, if and when they want to, but no one is responsible for anyone else's gear, food, cooking, water, portaging, or anything else. The value of such a trip to solo-minded paddlers is mainly in sharing a shuttle, having some companionship if and when you want it, and having some available assistance in the case of an emergency.

The best "group" trips I've ever been on have been of this second type, a collection of self-contained soloists. Like me, some paddlers don't really want to partake in group planning, group chores, or group anything. They affirmatively dislike such "teamwork" stuff, which seems too much like organized work and bureaucracy rather than personal relaxation. Also, most experienced paddlers have and like their own gear, and don't want or need group stuff. In addition, many paddlers have special diets that don't lend themselves to group kitchening. Finally, some paddlers want the freedom to just paddle or camp away from the group at any time, and go the rest of the trip alone, if they find themselves amongst drunks, druggies, non-stop talkers, or other personality types they dislike. Solo aggregation trips allow for this.

So, I'd say there are two different types of "group" trip structures available for consideration.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

There's an old boy out of Colorado that trips into the backcountry of Shoshone lake in Yellowstone each year about the same time I do. Late in the season when the tourists and scouts are gone and the weather is less than balmy. We've crossed paths a few times over the last several years and our last encounter saw us launching at the same time at Lewis lake. We paddled across that lake within eyesight of each other under a light rain. We then paddled up the river channel as far as we could, got out & roped up to pull our canoes up river the last mile or so.

It wasn't me, obviously, but here I am solo and alone paddling up the Lewis River in 2004. The rangers who took this picture said I was the first outrigger paddler they'd ever seen in Yellowstone.

I drove alone 10,000 miles across North America that summer always paddling alone on my outrigger canoe. Best trip of my life.